About coal seam gas
Coal Seam Gas (CSG) is a form of natural gas (primarily methane) that can be used in the same way as conventional gas, and is used to generate electricity.
CSG is found in coal seams, typically 300–600 meters underground. CSG is held in place by water pressure and is extracted via wells drilled through the coal seams. When the water pressure is reduced, natural gas is released from the coal. The gas is then processed to remove water and piped to compression plants for transportation via gas transmission pipelines to power stations, industry and domestic gas customers.
To ensure that CSG industry developments are undertaken in a responsible and sustainable manner, the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism (RET) works closely with state and territory governments, who have primary responsibility for regulating the CSG industry.
Recent CSG announcements
On 9 December 2011, the Standing Council on Energy and Resources (SCER)—comprising Australia’s energy and resources Ministers—discussed the significance of the growing CSG sector.
Ministers agreed to a work program for developing a national harmonised regulatory framework based on areas of key community concern, including water management and monitoring, well integrity and aquifer protection, and monitoring of hydraulic fracturing and chemical use.
The work program has been publicly released and is available on the Standing Council on Energy and Resources website.
On 27 January 2012, the Minister for the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities the Hon Tony Burke MP announced the appointment of an interim Independent Expert Scientific Committee (IESC), pending formal establishment of the IESC on Coal Seam Gas and Large Coal Mining Development through amendments to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
Related links
The following Australian Government websites provide further information on CSG in Australia:
More information
For more information about Coal Seam Gas, email
CSG@ret.gov.au.